Improved sofa and bedstead



(HIARLES l MCALISTER,

0F CHICAGO,ILLINOI&

Letters Patent N .4104,176, dated June 1870.

IMPROVE!) SOFA AND BEDSTEAD.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pari: of the same To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. McALIsTE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improved Combined-Sofa and Bedstead; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being `had to the accompanying drawing andthe letters and figures marked thereon, which form apart of this specication, and in whichv -Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the sofa;

Figure 2, a transverse sectional view at the line x; Figure-3, a top or plan view of the bedstead; and

Figure 4, a horizontal sectional view of the` sofa, taken at the line y.

yMy improvement relates to that class of Ainvention which consists in making a convenient and durable piece of furniture, that can be readily folded 'into an ordinary upholstered sofa, or unfolded into an easy, comfortable spring-bottom bedstead, thus making one article of furniture answer for both purposes.

The nature of my invention consists in a novel spring to be applied toA a combined sofa-bedstcad, as more fully hereafter set forth.

It further consists in the combination of the jointed extension pieces, the sofa-frame and seat, and the rigid frames, all more fully hereafter described, with the springs.

" I make a strong, durable' sofa-frame, A, with the posts, amis, and legs, and all its different parts made-in any of the usual .styles or patterns.

I make three separate frames, B, C, and D, one of I which, B, has two legs, E, attached to one side of it,

and it is attached to the main sofa-frame A bythe.

hinged extension pieces F, and forms the the sofa, as clearly shown in fig. 2. p

When the extension arms are folded, as shown in fig.

seat of 4, by taking hold of the frame B it can be drawn out from the sofa-frame tothe position shown in'iig. 2, the folding extension arms 'straightened so as to form a support for the other frames, which are swung down,as hereafter described, to form the bed-bottom.

The extension arms .F being hinged to the back cross-piece H of the sofa-frame and tothe legs E of the frame B, Vthey have a bearing at the front of the sofa, when they are drawn out, which strengthens them and prevents the liability of their being broken.

The frame C is hingedto the sofa-frame A at I,

Vand the frame D is hinged to 'theyframe C at.J`,.in

such a manner that, when the frames are swung down, ashereafter described, to form a part of the bed-bottom, the frames will lie side by side.

When these frames are swung up, vas shown in figs. land 2, they constitute the upholstered part of the back of the sofa. i l

There are springs K-attached to the frames, vand the frames are upholstered in any suitable style of upholstery, covering the springs, so that the seat and both sides of the back of the sofa| are furnished with spring upholstery, and when the seat is drawn out of the way.

Having thus fully described the construction and ont, and frames C and-Dare swung down, as shown in g. 3,' these same surfaces constitute a spring mattress for a bed.

The frame D is made narrower than C, so that it will not interfere with the upholstering of the seat, andthe frame C can be extended down as low as desired,l to give length to the bed, and also to present a good appearance when folded as a sofa.

The springs which I use are constructed in a novel manner. They are made of tempered steel, and are supported by one or more bent pieces O.

Thesel bent pieces are secured to the frame by screws, there being holes in the bent pieces large enough for the heads of the screws to pass' through,l and slots I, leading from the holes, which are not large enough for the heads of the screws, but which will receive the stem of the screw.

It will be seen that this fastening enables one to secure the springs in place by passing the screwhead through the hole iu the spring, and then-slipping the spring laterally, s o as to bring the screw into the slot P.,

One end of these bent pieces O is riveted to the main part ofthe spring. These bentv pieces are also tempered steel, and form a part of the spring.

These springs will operate very well-by attaching one end directly to the frame, and using only one bent piece, O, under the opposite end, attached .as above described,as that allows the spring to give when a weight is placed upon it, by the `slat slipping on the screw.

This form of spring forms a flat surface, and when attached to the top of the frame will spring down to the frame, so as `to occupy no space, excepting the .thickness of a single plate, and still present an even surface, which no other spring will do.

I make a receptacle, R, beneath the sofa-frame for the bed-clothes.' It must be made only large enough to receive the bed-clothes, since the upholstery of the sofa makes a spring mattress for the bed, thereby dispensing with the necessity of haring a mattressvto Astow away when the sofa is used.

The jointed extension pieces are inade soas to fold laterally, and, when folded, asclearly shown in fig. 2, are under the sofa seat or frame B, entirely operation of my combined sofa and bedstead,

Vhat I claim, and desire tg secure by Letters Pat.- cnt, is y 1. The springs K and the bent supports O, when constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the jointed extension pieces F, frames A and B, the rigid 'arnes *C and D, with the springs K and bent supports O, substantially as and for the purpose specified and shown.

Witnesses: CHARLES J. MGALISTER.

VLewis L. COBURN,

J. W. MUNDAY. 

